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Serpent's Cradle
“The Serpent’s Cradle? Aye, I’ve ‘eard of that cursed star system, alright! Gems as big as a babe’s fist! They say a man goes plain mad at just one look—all the beauty and fresh air. Forgets to feed ‘emselves, they do! Just waste away smilin’ like idiots! No one ever comes back from that blighted place! Not ever! Course, that don’t explain how all these tales are heard.” –Haspshur Gray, Hive Sibellus Scum Within Winterscale’s Realm there is a mysterious clutch of worlds orbiting a pair of ancient stars. Not much is known about these worlds, aside from rumors overheard in the dens of inequity and dark whispering corridors of Footfall and Port Wander. These tales speak of the planets of the Serpent’s Cradle; where the air is pure and the water sweet, worlds that can heal any ailment. They also speak of gems the size of a human’s hand that can easily be plucked from the ground—virtual paradises, according to the storytellers. However, they also add a dark shadow to these stories. They say that those who attempt to visit these worlds never return. They either waste away from hunger and thirst as they live on; drooling in ultimate peace and contentment, or some sinister protector of these worlds murders them before they can leave. Though they claim to speak from experience, none of the tale-tellers can explain how it is these stories are known if no one ever leaves these worlds alive, leaving most of what’s known about these worlds open to speculation. The system known as the Serpent’s Cradle is an unusual arrangement of worlds orbiting the Serpentis Stars. These twin stars, Serpentis Alpha and Serpentis Beta, are ancient blue stars—resembling dazzling sapphires burning in the void. The planets of this system orbit the stars in a unique double-helix pattern. Every world in the Serpent’s Cradle eventually passes between the binary stars, what’s referred to as the ‘Cradle,’ and in the process they are exposed to massive amounts of severe radiation. Despite this fact, the habitable worlds remain green and lush with their own ecosystems and unique flora and fauna. The high number of worlds that can support life in this system is another unusual property. This has led those few adepts and savants who think they know about this system to postulate that the system was somehow engineered. However, until some credible data turns up, this will never be confirmed. It is often speculated that Sebastian Winterscale visited theses worlds and was the only one to ever escape them unharmed. His crew often spoke of a meticulously kept journal detailing his journeys and encounters. If this information is true, then perhaps there’s some information to be found about the Serpent’s Cradle and the worlds within it. Yet, if he or his crew did indeed visit these worlds, none of them ever spoke of it publicly, and Winterscale’s journal has never been found. Other Rogue Traders and members of the Disciples of Thule have tried to explore the worlds of the Serpent’s Cradle, but most were either lost or have found nothing to corroborate the spacer tales about this system. There are twelve planets that orbit the ancient binary stars, and the system is surrounded by a massive asteroid belt that likely formed as a result of the tremendous gravimetric stresses the stars placed on the belt when the system was first formed aeons ago. An ancient log purported to have been recovered from an automated servitor-piloted drone have reported that the habitable worlds appear to be in a state of evolutionary suspension—that is, the planet’s ecology has been the same for the past several thousand millennia! The purpose for this can only be guessed at, however, this type of stagnation is only commonly found on Eldar Maiden and Exodite worlds to speed up the growth of the planet’s vegetation in order to support future colonies. Given the distinct lack of Eldar presence in the system (aside from the occasional pirate and corsair fleet), it would appear that this practice is no longer limited to their worlds alone. 'The Monoliths and the Eldar' Some of the few accurate records in the Koronus Expanse may be found in the archives of the Explorator Magos Talus Zane. Zane equipped his ship—The Omnissiah Ascendant—with a highly sophisticated (and extremely old) multiple auspex array, and spent several days studying the Serpent’s Cradle from far beyond the system’s Oort cloud. The long range scans and pict-records of the surfaces of the worlds within the Serpent’s Cradle reveal that the surface of the habitable worlds are dotted with what appear to be some type of crystal structures that resemble organically-grown spires. It’s also said that these objects appear to be meshed with other organic materials, not unlike that used by the ancient Eldar. Three images of particular interest were taken of one of the worlds passing through the Cradle. The images, though fuzzy, show the structures apparently energized; glowing with a pale purple light, presumably the radiation and energy collected from passing between the two stars. Where this energy is stored, or why it’s being collected in the first place can also only be guessed at, but it is speculated that some massive collector might be set deep beneath the surface of these worlds, and that the energy gathered is transferred to these locations for some unknown purpose. If this is the case, then the energy of millennia awaits below the crust of the planets. It is thought that the Eldar marked these worlds out for colonization based on ancient logs and records recovered from Sebastian Winterscale. However, there is a definite lack of Eldar activity not only within the system, but the Koronus Expanse as a whole. Even the members of Craftworld Kaelor and Eldar Corsairs have shown no interest in the Serpent’s Cradle, aside from occasionally using it to stage ambushes on ships passing through the region from time to time. It is likely that Zane knows more than he has thus far revealed. However, should a Rogue Trader wish to learn from him, they will have to track down the reclusive Tech-priest and his ship—last seen deep in Winterscale’s Realm. 'Navigating the Serpent's Cradle' Due to the massive gravity wells generated by the twin stars, all but the most exceptional Navigators must exit the warp well away from the system, leaving the dangerous and dense field of rock and debris between the ship and the interior of the Serpent’s Cradle. Thus, among those few vessels that even find the Serpent’s Cradle, only a fraction of them ever attempt to explore it. The remains of those who have tried and failed can be found drifting through the detritus of rock and gasses. Aside from the dense field of rock that envelopes the system’s outer reaches, there are mysterious gravity wells and isolated anomalies within the system itself. Because no one outside the few probes and passing vessels making course corrections has ever travelled in-system and returned to tell the tale, there is no concrete information on what exactly lurks in the near-void of the Serpent’s Cradle. Naturally, the various Rogue Traders and Explorators who have passed in and out of the Koronus Expanse have made attempts to gain access to the unspoiled worlds of the Serpent’s Cradle in an attempt to survey and exploit them. Most have been unsuccessful, but those who have made attempts and were not destroyed in the process have an eclectic mix of stories of their attempts. It’s thought that Sebastian Winterscale was the only one who actually passed through successfully and returned to tell the tale; all other tales are thought to be variations on the telling of the same story. Those who do actually claim to have set foot on the worlds of the Serpent’s Cradle are thought of as braggarts, liars or fools. Given that Winterscale explored this realm over six hundred years ago, many of his reports are fragmented and have succumbed to time. This leaves many scholars to suspect that Winterscale may not have been as truthful about his exploits as originally thought. On more than one occasion, Rogue Traders have reported entering the outer edges of the system, only to be attacked by bone-colored ships with tattered solar sails, reminiscent of Eldar craft. They say that these reavers and pirates show no mercy, and that the crews who do survive, barely escape with their lives. Others contend that it wasn’t Eldar pirates that attacked them at all, but other xenos of an unknown origin—possibly the Rak’Gol, who have been plaguing ships and colonies since their incursion from the Alenic Depths. Whatever the case may be, the Serpent’s Cradle will prove a serious challenge for any who wish to investigate it. 'Worlds of the Serpent's Cradle' While the exact nature of the system remains to be explored, over the past 800 years since the opening of the Maw Passage from the Calixis Sector, many have passed by (or through) the system. Explorator fleets of the Disciples of Thule have attempted to make forays into the system for their own obscure purposes, and they have been willing to share at least part of their findings—however meagre they are. At least twelve bodies, not including the massive Serpent’s Belt of asteroids, orbit the twin stars of the Serpent’s Cradle. Of these, three worlds, documented and surveyed by long range auspex scans, appear to support life, although the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Navis Nobilite suggest that there may be more hidden from their augur arrays. The star system is very large, and the augur scans of the Mechanicus have only covered a small faction of it at a long distance. Each of these worlds supports an abundance of lush plant life that thrives in the strange radiation and electro-magnetic fields of the Cradle. It’s thought that primitive animal life may also exist on these worlds as well, although only a landed expedition could confirm this. Naturally, spacers tell tales of giant armored lizards as big a hab block and herds of herbivores wandering the plains. None of these stories can be confirmed, however. Closest to the twin stars, on the inner reaches of the so-called “life zone,” a lush tropical world has been discovered. Blanketed in thick jungles and craggy mountains, this world is thought to hold untold secrets deep beneath its canopy of verdant vegetation. Long range arrays have found images of strange structures on the surface, but nothing to show that anything beyond the primitive jungle fauna exists—nothing to show who built them without getting a closer look. The second world, perhaps the most Terra-like world in the system, is covered in a wide variety of vegetation and stable tectonics. In the last century, Magos Paulius Strennus of the Adeptus Geologica, has taken on the task of compiling the scattered and fragmented reports from voidsmen and various other “reliable” sources. Magos Strennus postulates this world to be millions of years old, though it appears to be held in a state of geological stasis. What is causing this or why is unknown, but the planet does show tell-tale signs of being engineered. Thick forests of evergreen plants and whispering plains can be seen from the preliminary surveys taken. Additionally, structures similar to the other two worlds have also been noted here as well. The last world identified is one that is dominated by deep oceans. Small chains of islands are scattered across the water in groups of archipelagos. Some of these islands have been identified as being ecosystems unto themselves—self contained worlds within a world. Naturally, like the other worlds located, this third planet also has structures and ruins on several of the islands. However, unlike the other two worlds, many of these structures and buildings appear to be tribal and occupied. That the probes and scans can reveal no more detail about the inhabitants has proven very disconcerting for the magos of the Adeptus Biologis aboard Altar-Templum-Calixis-Ext-17. 'The Nature of the Serpent's Cradle' The nature of the Serpent’s Cradle and the threat it presents has been deliberately left open for the Game Master to interpret. An excellent source of adventures and endeavors, the Serpent’s Cradle system offers a wealth of possibilities for a group of intrepid Explorers. As no one is certain what actually waits within the Serpent’s Cradle, the GM is free to devise whatever he feels would be appropriate for the Explorers to encounter. Naturally, the asteroid belt presents its own unique challenges, but there are other decisions that need to be made concerning the planets themselves. Since every campaign is unique, there is no one “right” or “wrong” decision. In fact, there are several suggestions listed below to help the GM customize the Serpent’s Cradle for his campaign. Some of the areas that should, at the very least, be decided upon are the nature of the worlds, what type of guardians protect them, and the types of endeavors that can be created for the Rogue Trader and fellow Explorers to capitalize upon. Rumors and tales told since the initial discovery of the worlds within the Serpentis system by Sebastian Winterscale have all spoken of planets whose waters can heal, where gems can simply be plucked off the ground, and a man could want for nothing. While exaggerations to be sure, there is a grain of truth within them. The GM should decide where tales end and truth begins. An important mystery of the Serpent’s Cradle is the system’s “guardians.” The rumors told state that those who set foot on these pristine paradise worlds never leave them again—but this leaves open any number of possibilities. Below are several example forces that the GM could pit the Explorers against: *The sinister forces of Slaanesh tainted this world. It is a “Venus flytrap” that lures explorers to their death with its irresistible beauty and tales of infinite wealth and healing, a garden of forbidden delights to seduce the unwary. *The worlds of the Serpent’s Cradle are actually Eldar Maiden Worlds; they have set out mysterious guardians to skill any who dare set foot upon their virginal soil. These guardians might be Rangers, or a far older and more dangerous protector. *Though the surfaces of the worlds are a mystery, the Eldar known as the Crow Spirits maintain a secret fastness amongst the complex planetary orbits that complicate the system. Anyone who discovers the Crow Spirits’ secret will find his life forfeit as the hostile Eldar will expend every resource to destroy them. Needless to say, the possibilities are only limited by the imagination of the GM and his players. One other item to consider is the nature of the crystal vanes that lie scattered across the surfaces of the inhabitable planets. The GM should consider their function and purpose, even if it’s nothing more than helping to bleed off the incessant radiation that bathes the worlds as they pass through the “Cradle” between the stars in order to keep the worlds livable. Once he has these details figured out, no matter how preliminary, the GM can then move on with creating Endeavors that the Explorers will use to gain wealth and fame throughout the Imperium. The following are sample endeavors a GM can make use of, or combine into a single larger Endeavour. Walk on the worlds of the Serpent’s Cradle (Lesser): Since the only reliable Rogue Trader to have ever set foot on the worlds of the Serpent’s Cradle was supposedly Sebastian Winterscale, the Explorers will need to repeat that feat and be able to not only return to tell the tale, but also prove their story. What mineral wealth or other rewards (and dangers) await the Explorers is up to the GM, but even finding a route beyond the treacherous asteroids is a feat in and of itself. The Explorers must negotiate the dangers of the asteroid belt surrounding the system, and preferably find a route that others can use (and pay for the privilege). Discover the terrible secret that lurks behind the façade (Greater): Something malign awaits the Explorers within this system; some dark and sinister secret that doesn’t want to be found, and is worth protecting at all costs. Some possibilities include an ancient xenos war world filled with terrible weapons and dark technology, a staging point for some conquering xenos armada, or perhaps a stable warp gate exists that leads deep into the raw immaterium—waiting for the stars to align before a mob of daemon-infested hordes spills forth ready to wreck havoc upon an unsuspecting (and unaware) sector. Or perhaps it is as the scholars and adepts postulated: this is a forgotten Eldar world, lost to the sands of time. 'Psychic Phenomenon' Aside from the other strange phenomena concerning the Serpent’s Cradle, many of the psykers and diviners of the Koronus Expanse and the Imperium have noted that there is something psychically “unnatural” about this system. Astropathic communication within the reaches of the Serpent’s Cradle seem to be muted somehow, as if there is some kind of background noise interfering with the sending of messages. Castings of the Emperor’s Tarot, both within and without the system, all point to some ancient force waiting and watching over the system. Category:Systems Category:Winterscale’s Realm Category:Koronus Expanse